Panel mounting for switch casings or the like



July 2, 1929. R, K, wlNNlNG 1 719.741

PANEL MOUNTING FOR SWITCH CASINGS OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 5, 1925 5 1 VENTOR. -/lZw/ 19' W30 ATTORNEYS,

atented July 2, 1929'.

umisosrarss PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT K. WINNING, 0F W'ATJWELTOEA, 0E711SCOIKI'SIN', ASSIGNOB TO CLUM MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PANEL MOUNTING F013. EiWITGH GASINGS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed December 5, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in panel mountings :lor switch casings or the like.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel and simplified means for rigidly anchoring a switch casing on the instrument board or panel of a motor vehicle. Devices heretofore used for this purpose have been comparatively complex and less rigid than is satisfactory. In the present invention these objections are overcome due to a construction permitting of co-operation between a special anchorage compression member or strut and a casing having a peculiar design adapted to accommodatesuch a strut;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a panel or instrument board showing in side elevation a switch casing mounted thereon in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view taken on the section indicated at 22 in Figure 1, such section being in the plane oi? the front face of the instrument board or panel, and a portion of the panel being broken away to expose the end of the compression strut which comprises the anchorage means. i

Figure 3 is adetail view taken in a section in the plane indicated at 3-3 in Figure 2 and showing in side elevation the anchorage member which rigidly connects the switch casing with the instrument board.

Figure at is an enlarged detail view showing in side elevation the opposite side of the anchorage from that which appears in Figure 3. i 1

Figure 5 is a plan view of the member shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation thereof.

Like parts are identified by the same ref erence characters throughout the several views. 1

The switch herein disclosed is especially designed to house a plurality of switch and lock mechanisms which will not be described for the reason that they are not involved in the subject matter oi? the present invention. The casing is unusual in that its side wall 10 has an outline somewhat similar to that oi a tour-leaf clover whereby to provide a series of arcuate pockets 11. within which the aforesaid switch or look mechanisms may be housed. Integral with the side wall 10 of the casing is a series of flanges 12 each of Serial No. 73,465.

which has a truly circular peripheral marg n 13 which is integrally so joined with the side wall 10 as to span each pocket 14 formed exteriorly of wall 10 intermediate the bays or recesses 11 in which the switch and like mechanisms are housed. The switch casing is closed at its rear by means oi a dielectric terminal disk 15 which may conveniently be made oi. fiber or the like and which is bolted to flanges 1.2 by bolts 16. The heads 17 of these bolts are seated within the pockets 14: in'engagcment with the forward faces of flanges 12 and the bolts extend rearuuirdly through registering apertures in flange 1 2 and dielectric terminal disk 15. A. nut 18 on each bolt secures the disk 15 to the flange 12 whereby to close the rear of the casing.

At its front, the casing is closed by a bezeled mounting plate 20. It is of larger diameter than the casing and is adapted to engage the panel or instrument board 21 exteriorly of a circular opening 22 through which the casing proper projects. Since the opening 22 is circular and the body oi. the switch casing is of the peculiar outline best shown in Figure 2, it will be obvious that the margin of opening 22 will be exposed by each of the pockets la in the exterior of the casing.

The anchorage member shown in detail in Figures 3 and 6, inclusive, is peculiarly adapted for use with a casing and dashboard construction such as has been. described above. The anchorage member 25 is a compression strut made in a form generally similar to the letter L to include a short arm 26 and a relatively longer leg 27'. The entire strut is preferably channeled throughout for strength, having a central web 28 and side flanges 29. At the end of the leg portion 27 of the strut the flanges 29 are extended as at 30 to provide :teet overhanging the margin of opening 22 in the dash board. A shoulder at 32 engages interiorly the margin of the panel about opening 22 and thereby secures the lower end of the compression men'iber against radially outward movement with respect to the opening in the dash.

The length of the leg portion 27 of the compression member is such as to bring the arm portion 26 of such member beyond nut 18 which holds the terminal. head. 15 oi the switch to the flanges 12 of the switch casing. Arm 26 has an aperture 34 ol such size as to receive freely the bolt 16 upon which nut 18 is threaded. An additional nut 35 upon said bolt engages the overhanging arm 26 of the compression member and may be turned down to exert any desired thrust through the compression member upon the dash in a direction such as to direct the entire switch rearwardly and to compress the bezeled mounting plate against the outer face of the dash.

It will be noted that the line of application of pressure upon the compression strut 25 is inside of the foot 30 of the strut or anchorage member. There is consequently a tendency for the strut to tilt in what may be described as a counter-c1oclnvise direction as viewed in Figure 3. This tendency is opposed byvcontact of the arm portion 26 of the strut with bolt 16 and by contact of shoulder 32 at the other end of thestrut with the margin of the panel about opening 22 in the dash, such margin being made available by Q the pecuhar shape 0; the switch CHSIIIO'.

' Since tilting movement of the anchorage strut in this direction is impossible and since there is no tendency for the strut to tilt or oscillate in any other direction an extremely rigid anchorage is provided for the switch casing. It is particularly to be-noted that this result is accomplished Without any necessity for boring holes in the dash other than a single hole required for insertion of the switch casmg.

I claim:

1. An'article of manufacture comprising an anchorage strut having an end'reduced to form ashoulder and a transversely disposed arm spaced from said shoulder, and means connected to said arm for moving the shoulder into engagement with an adjacent wall mem ber.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an anchorage strut comprising a channeled member including a web and side flanges formed to provide a leg and a laterally projecting arm, said flanges being shouldered to provide a foot at one side of one end of said leg, and said arm. being extended beyond said foot across the shouldered portion thereof.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an anchorage strut comprising a web portion and adjacent flange portions in channeled form, said strut being bent intermediate its ends substantially at right angles with said flange portions in the interior of the bend and having a shouldered extension of the flange portions at one end of the strut and'thereby offset from the web and an aperture in the web portion adjacent the other end of the strut.

4. The combination with a switch casing having a noncircular outline in cross section and provided with a mounting plate,of a bolt projecting rearwardly from said casing away from said mounting plate, and a compression strut member arranged to extend axially of 'saidcasing and provided with an arm projecting across said casing and aperturedto portions engaging the margin of said receive said bolt and with a foot offset from said member in the direction of said arm and shouldered to engage the margin of an obj cct abutted by said member, whereby pressure on said arm tending to tilt said member will. be opposed by said shoulder.

5. The combination with a support provided with an opening, oi a casing extending through said opening, a mounting plate connected with said casing and abutting said support exteriorly of said opening, said casing being spaced from the margin of said support about said opening at a particular point, a bolt projecting rearwardly from said casing beyond said point, and a strut member formed to engage the margin of said support at said point and extending rearwardly axially of said casing, said strut member being provided with an apertured arm engaged upon said bolt.

6. The combination with a support having a circular opening of a casing provided with a mounting plate abutting said support exteriorily of said opening, said casing having a wall corrugated to provide a plurality of exterior pockets and to aflord clearance between said wall and the margin of said support at said pockets, bolts connected with said casing and extending rearwardly beyond said casing and a set of compression struts disposed in said pockets and each provided with means for engaging the margin of said support at said opening and with apertured arms proecting transversely across said casing in engagement with said bolts The combinatlon with a support provided with a substantially circular opening, of a casing extending through said support and provided with a mounting plate engaging said support about said opening and with a circuitous extending wall of corrugated outline in cross section, whereby to provide a plurality of pockets each lfliOltllDg a space between said wall and the margin oi said support at said opening, means connected with said wall and projecting across said pockets. bolts mounted in said means, and a. set of compression struts associated with the several pockets and provided with shouldered support at said opening, leg portions extending rearwardly outside of said means and arm portions projecting across said means and having apertures engaged upon said bolts.

8. The combination with a support provided with a generally circular opening of a. casing extending through said support and provided with a mounting plate engaging said support about said opening and with a circuitously extending wail oi. non-circular cross section whereby to provide pockets at spaced points between said wall and the margin of said support, flanges connected with said wall and spanning said pockets, said flanges being apertured, a member provided with apertures registered with the apertures of said flanges, bolts passing through said apertures and connecting said member With said casing through said flanges, and a set of anchorage struts each comprising a compression member having a shouldered foot portion engaging the margin of the support at said opening Within one of said pockets, a leg portion abutting said support and extending rearwardiy axially of said casing and outside of one of said flanges and an arm portion projecting across said last mentioned flange and said member and provided with an aperture engaged upon said bolt together with a nut upon said bolt bearing on said arm portion to exert compression therethrough upon said support.

ROBERT K. WINNING. 

